Northern N.M. Toy Drive is back and bigger
Nov. 11—Sometimes, efforts with humble beginnings become a force for good.
And then they get jets and really take off.
Enter the Northern New Mexico Toy Drive.
Organizers of the annual push to put meaningful Christmas gifts into the hands of Northern New Mexico's less fortunate children say this year's event has the potential to be the biggest in history, thanks in part to big-ticket partners like Los Alamos National Laboratory, Meow Wolf, the city of Santa Fe and EXIT Realty Advantage NM.
But its real muscle still comes from people who simply want to help at holiday time.
"We have the opportunity to make this a great thing," said Rollin Tylerr Jones, who recalls the drive's early days, when new Christmas gifts for area children were sometimes a struggle.
This year's drive promises to be much bigger. Kids in at least seven Northern New Mexico counties, including Santa Fe, are scheduled to receive toys. The goal this year, said EXIT's Jyl DeHaven, is enough money and toy donations to serve 5,000 children.
"We're making a dent," DeHaven said, "but we're certainly not there yet."
Donors can give money through an online portal or new toys or even volunteer to help, though organizers note they hope to receive and deliver gifts related to sports, arts and dance — activities that provide a healthy outlet "to let them express some of what they're going through," Jones said. "It gives them a community to be part of as well."
The drive doesn't accept used toys.
The effort opened last week with drop-off locations for boxes that will hold donations. But two other key events this month include:
* The Giving Tree Forest at DeVargas Center, open for those who would like to choose a tag off the Giving Tree, opens Nov. 25. There's a possibility Santa Claus may make an appearance between 1-3 p.m., along with a kids' activity station and hot chocolate.
* On Nov. 26, the Santa Fe Fire Department will have pictures with Santa on the Plaza, an opportunity to bring a new, unwrapped toy or cash donation and inspect a vintage firetruck.
Organizers are particularly thrilled they have again attracted the added muscle of Los Alamos National Laboratory, whose vast employee base is getting behind the effort for the second consecutive year.
Kayla Norris, a community relations specialist at the lab, said about 50 employees have requested drop-off bins for their workstations in both Los Alamos and Santa Fe, a sign of how extensive the effort will be there. Others have asked to become a "champion" of the drive within their own individual departments.
"It's a really exciting and fun drive for us," Norris said. "It's fun to connect with the toy drive and work with community partners and to lead something like this."
About 30 organizations, including the state Children, Youth and Families Department, plus nonprofits and other kid-focused organizations in a multicounty area work with the drive to identify children in need, DeHaven said. She added the drive brought cheer to nearly 3,000 kids last year. Even before Christmas season, another 700 potential recipients were identified.
"These are children for whom we are it," she said. "If we don't do it, they don't get Christmas."
